San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-09-08
WASHINGTON. LETTER.
(From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 1887.

IL seems 10 me tnat tne puoiic iaho
policy of this Administration COM
mends it to the favor of the people
far more than any other measure it
has adopted. There has been no
cessation in the great work of oyer
hauling the swindling manipulations
Of hungry landsharks and the power
full railway corporations have also
been made to disgorge much of q
free peoples birthright, ruthlessly
given away by Republican admins
trations, Under the swamp land
law, passed by Congress in 1850, au-
thority was granted certain States,
with public lands in their borders, to
drain and reclaim oil swamp and
overfowed lands, preparing them for
purposes of agriculture later, acts
were passed granting to the States
with such lands an indemnity of
S1.25 per acre for each acre of swamp
land sold by the government after the
act of 1850 and up to the date of
the indemnity act of 1855. Then
in 1857 Congress passed n law secur-
ing to each State the titles to such
tracts as were condemned by the
several States as swamp lands. Now,
so far as can be ascertained, Louisi-
ana is the only State that has made
any attempt to reclaim these lands,
and that was soon abandoned. You
can at a thought see what vast
field of fraud was invitingly opened
by the government, full advantage of
which was taken by thousands of un
scrupulous persons who falsely swore
away millions of acres of the most
fertile public lands, the settlers and
the United States land agents often
making d combine" against the gov
eminent in their nefarious work.
AS the swamp-law was passed thirty
seven years ago, if the law had been
carried out in good foith, the States
would long since have reclaimed all
such lands; but, still, "swamp land
claims" are being almost daily pre-
sented.
The malicious attack made upon
Commissioner Sparks, is solely due
to his efforts to check and correct
this gigantic swindle--for which he
is entitled to the highest praise.
Civil Service reform seems to be
making pretty fair progress under
the new regulations requiring clerks
in Office to be examined. A few days
ago the Civil Service Commission
received from the Secretary of the
Navy request for the certificates of
212 eliglbles-all males-from which
SO selections may be made to fill ex-
listing vacancies. To supply this, the
largest requisition ever made on the
Commission, at least four certificates
we're made for each of the States and
Territories. The Civil Service Com
missioners are divided in opinion in
regard to the power of dismissal,
Mr.. Edgerton holding that the ap-
pointing authority had absolute pow.
err of dismissal, while his colleagues
contend that such power is restricted
by the Civil Service law.
The Interstate Commerce law
seems to be steadily growing in popu-
lar favor. Senator Butler of South
Carolina, who opposed the measure,
has been won over by his recent ex-
perience in a railroad collision. and,
in consequence, he proposes to iutro.
duce amendments to the law, regu-
lating the speed of trains and limit
ing the time of railroad employees to
twelve hours consecutive service in a
day.
National bank repositories now
hold larger sum of government
funds than ever before-the amount
being S2O,257,OOO.
Over seven million and half trade
dollars have been redeemed to date,
which, 1 believe, is a much smaller
number than usual.
At the last cabinet meeting, for the
first time during this administration,
all the members were absent except
Secretary Bayard-the other port
folios being represented by assistant
secretaries.
As it is regarded as practically set
tied that President Cleveland will be
renominated, some interest is being
in the nomination for vice
president